Far, Far Away
by Pieces Of Hope
Summary: For a while, both 2D and Noodle have been sad, have been in pain...but finally, after being reunited on Plastic Beach, Noodle confesses to 2D what she's been thinking about for a long, long time...


_Hello all~ Reading a lot of fanfictions recently inspired me to write this one. I based this entire story on the official 2D and Noodle picture that came with the Itunes download of Plastic Beach. I'm sure most of you have seen it by now, Noodle with her kitty mask on a blanket with 2D staring out into the water with no shirt on as they chill-out by the shore._

_Really, I wrote this because I was so tired of 2D being sad all the time. Recently there have been so many depressed 2D stories…he deserves a little happiness, and Noodle does too!_

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**Far, Far Away~**

Despite Plastic Beach basically being an entire island made of garbage, on the nice days there was a lovely place to sit by the water and stare out at the ocean and zone.

2D was a professional at zoning out.

Leaning up against a slanted palm tree he let his mind go far out into the ocean, far away from here. He absolutely hated it here, but that hatred had subdued a bit since…

"2D-kun, may I join you?" Noodle suddenly asked, sporting a swimsuit with a blanket over her arm, he imagined her smiling beneath her kitty mask.

"Yeah, of course ya can." He said it almost breathlessly, ever since she had returned, life on the island had gotten just a little bit brighter…well, maybe more then just a bit.

She nodded her head once and grabbed the blanket from her arm and aired it out, letting it fall gently to the ground. Squatting, she tucked her knees beneath her and sat down. "Very nice…" She whispered as she let herself relax.

By then, 2D's attention returned the water, the hypnotic back and forth motion of the waves had stolen his thoughts again…or so Noodle had thought. She had no idea how _aware_ 2D was at this very moment. His body was tense, so stiff, and he felt like if he stared any harder at nothing in particular his damaged eyes would magically pop out of his head.

Noodle turned to him slowly, and like 2D had suspected she was smiling beneath the mask she wore upon her face. She took a minute to clear her throat before she stood and walked over towards him.

"Nani? 2D-kun, what is it you're looking at?" She laughed as she said this and intensely stared out into the open water just as he did. But this intense glare only lasted a moment before the kitty mask met 2D's black voids.

2D gave a bashful laugh as he turned his face away and back out the waves.

"You seem pretty 'appy today, Noodle, any reason?" He asked as he rubbed the back of his head, nearly knocking his Captain's hat to the ground.

"Well, I'm with you on a beach, and I haven't seen Murdoc all day. That in itself is a celebration, ne?" She laughed. Ever since Noodle had made her way there, to Plastic Beach, she hadn't really made her peace with Murdoc for not bothering to help her. But it was more than that. She was angry he went so far as to kidnap 2D, and she was angry he never bothered to find Russel to play the drums for the band he put so much dedication to.

He needed to be punished, but that wasn't the thought that was on Noodle's mind at the moment…and honestly, how could it be? Noodle kept her eyes towards 2D who still looked at towards the water. Eventually, she too turned her eyes towards the waves. She thought it best to mentally prepare herself for what she was about to do next.

After a moment 2D nodded in understanding and looked down at the young woman again. That was something he was still getting used to, calling her and seeing her as a woman. There was no denying the fact she was no longer the little girl in the helmet anymore.

A breeze blew suddenly and Noodle brought her hands to her arms and rubbed them slowly. She turned her masked face towards 2D one final time before she gave a happy sigh.

"I need to tell you something, 2D-kun." She told him rather forcibly as she put a hand to his bare chest and gently ran it up to his cheek. She laughed quietly to herself as she walked back to her blanket and sat down. 2D stared at her as she did this. Of course, he wanted nothing more now than to hear what she had to say.

"Well," 2D started impatiently, "W'at is it?"

Noodle sighed again and brought her hands to the back of her head as she slowly pulled her mask from her face and set it down beside her. 2D knew of the bruise she had under the cat mask, he knew how she got it, and he knew she hated it. But for some reason, right now, she felt the need to take it off.

She glanced the man's way and grinned. "I just wanted to let you know 2D-kun, in case you are not aware, I'm going to marry you one of these days." She nodded her head and turned her gaze out into the water. She looked completely content with herself.

"Ah…right…" 2D nodded for a moment or two before he finally realized…

"Huh?" He shook his head and moved to her side, turning her towards him. She still sat there grinning rather pleasantly. "What? Did ya 'ear w'at ya said?!"

"Of course I heard, I said it. Do you understand?" She asked him forwardly, rather liking the feeling of his hands on her shoulders.

"Of course I understand! I'm not t'at stupid Noodle!" He almost shouted this at her. All of a sudden saying something so big and serious…it didn't make any sense at all!

"Good. I'm glad." She told him simply with shrug of her shoulders. As far as she was concerned she let out all the thoughts that had been floating in her head and in her heart since she had arrived on Plastic Beach. She wasn't going to be alone anymore, and she wasn't going to let him be alone either.

"But Noodle," 2D started suddenly as he loosened his grip on her shoulders and ran his hands to clasp her hands in his. "Why would ya say t'at?" He couldn't help but ask. It was the only thing he could manage to say, his heart was racing for too fast to think of anything else.

Was she seriously asking something like that, something so big?

"Why would I say that?" She repeated slowly as she put a finger to her chin in jest. She waited only a moment before she smiled. "Well, because I mean it, 2D-kun." For her, that was the only answer.

2D looked away from her gaze for just a second before he quickly turned back.

"I get t'at ya mean it, _you mean it _– But Noodle, me? Are ya crazy?" 2D could feel his cheeks grow warm and he knew it had nothing to do with the hot sun over head. Wasn't this the most ridiculous picture, a grown man blushing at a young girl, no, a young woman's proposal.

"Not crazy…" She answered bluntly as she pulled her hands away from his and pulled her knees into her chest. "I just realized, all that time…so far away, that if I wasn't with you, I couldn't ever really be happy." She hugged her knees to her and tucked her face down, losing all of her nerve.

"And I'm the only one who could take care of you, 2D-kun."

After that 2D stared at her long and hard and yet, once again, the right thing to say wasn't coming to mind. It was then he wondered, as she shifted slightly and he caught a glimpse of a reddened cheek, how long he had been in love with her. Because he realized that being with Noodle forever – would actually be rather wonderful. For there was no one like Noodle, no one as strong, or as talented, or smart, but that still left him wondering why him?

Noodle's 2D-kun was over ten years her senior and he wasn't at all perfect. He was rather thick and his face was dented and permanently damaged. He wasn't worthy to be Noodle's boyfriend, let alone her husband…but was he in the wrong because he didn't want to fight her? Was he wrong that he wanted her to love him as he loved her?

Fighting all that common knowledge and what little logic he had, 2D grabbed Noodle's arm and pulled her into his chest, holding her as close as he could.

"I'll tell ya somefink – I dunno why ya'd want someone like me…but Noodle, I won't fight ya on it." He couldn't. Part of him felt guilty about that. Like he was supposed to be mature enough to tell her to find someone better, someone younger, and someone perfect for her.

But the way he saw it now, with her so close to him, he was perfect for her.

"I'm glad you feel that way." She whispered as she brought her arms around him. It had been a long, long while since Noodle had felt this safe and comfortable. She pressed her head into his shoulder and took in his scent, his warmth. Still, even after all these years…2D smelled like butterscotch.

"But it won't be for a while." She admitted with a small smile.

"We'll stick around here for a little while. Murdoc's music, the album, it is good but it's nothing without us. Considering the robot, cyborg, whatever, has been, let's just say stored away…" She laughed to herself.

2D remembered every detail that happened between the two different Noodles…but that wasn't on his mind right now…right now it was only the real one, the one with a soul, the one with his heart.

"But when this part of our lives has come to end," She grinned, "We'll go back to England and then…" She didn't see the need to finish her sentence, even 2D, as dense as he was, knew what she meant.

Noodle pulled back just a bit and leaned in towards 2D's face, letting her lips gently touch his. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her body pressed into his.

With just that one simple kiss, 2D knew that she was worth the wait…

Noodle was worth everything…

As he kissed her back, slowly but surely, he realized that being here on the island, with her with him…he would be okay. He'd find that he didn't need to be sad or angry anymore. He'd find the strength to stand up to Murdoc and one day…

_One day 2D and Noodle would sail far, far away…_


End file.
